It Couldn't Hurt To Try
by zaluzianskya
Summary: Being Fourze is rough, but at least Yuuki always has Tomoko by her side. (Yuuki-as-Fourze AU, Yuuki/Tomoko)


Originally written for girlnamedlance as part of Femslash Exchange 2015.

* * *

Yuuki Joujima flopped down onto her back in the middle of the Rabbit Hutch. She flipped the switches on her belt and sighed as the Fourze armor vanished.

Being a Kamen Rider was hard work.

Kengo glanced over from the connected room where he was putting together a new switch. "You pushed yourself too hard again, didn't you?"

Yuuki pouted. "No way. I just need to lay down for like a second, okay?"

"Right, right..." Kengo clicked the switch on and then off again. "We have some testing to do when you're up for it. Take your time, though. The Fourze Driver is delicate."

Yuuki pushed herself up, only to be pushed back down by a pair of manicured hands on her shoulders.

Tomoko's intense, mascara-lined gaze sent a shiver down Yuuki's spine. "He's right. You need to rest." She fingered the little bottle necklace she wore with the shed cicada shell inside. "There's misfortune in your future, Yuuki."

"Eh?" Yuuki tilted her head.

"Rest." Tomoko grabbed a pillow off the table and shoved it under Yuuki's head.

* * *

Ever since Yuuki and Kengo had discovered the doorway to the moon, they'd been working together to fight the Zodiarts that kept attacking their school. More important than that, though, was finding and putting a stop to whoever kept distributing the Zodiarts Switches.

To that end they'd fought for nearly a year. But eventually the Powerdizer was no longer enough to hold the monsters at bay. Kengo couldn't use the Fourze Driver, so it was up to the one person who both knew about it and could handle the transformation: Yuuki.

As Fourze she'd defeated a number of Zodiarts and saved countless students. But one of them stood out above the others, and that was Tomoko Nozama.

Even if sometimes Yuuki didn't know how to respond to her special brand of affection.

* * *

"Here. This will help." Tomoko used her chopsticks to shovel a pile of natto onto Yuuki's french fries.

"Eh? I don't— are you sure?"

"Natto helps prevent vascular disease, stroke, and heart attack."

"I'm not going to have a heart attack!"

Tomoko looked dead serious as she replied, "Your job is an indispensible one, Yuuki. The stress..."

Yuuki bit her lip. She supposed it couldn't hurt to _try_ the natto. Gingerly she picked up a french fry and stuffed it into her mouth.

Her eyes widened. "This is really good!"

Tomoko smiled knowingly.

* * *

Fourze was down. She groaned and tried to get up, but Meteor was on her before she could move an inch.

"Why are you doing this?!" Yuuki demanded.

"Shut up. You're interfering with my mission!" Meteor swung his polearm.

Before it could connect, his blow was deflected by a flying Burgermeal. A small girl clad in Amanogawa High School's uniform crashed into him, knocking him away from the fallen Yuuki.

Tomoko stood between Meteor and Fourze, arms outstretched. She glared furiously.

"Get out of my way," Meteor said warningly.

"No! You... you're no Kamen Rider!" Tomoko exclaimed. "A Kamen Rider is someone who fights for human freedom. You're just..." She struggled for words. "You're just a bully!"

"Tomoko..." Yuuki pushed herself to her feet and placed a hand on Tomoko's shoulder.

Meteor swung his polearm again. Tomoko shrieked and cringed, but before the attack could connect Yuuki was in the way.

 _ **"Wheel on!"**_

Yuuki grabbed Tomoko. "Hold on tight," she warned.

They left Meteor in their dust. Tomoko didn't let go for a long time, even once they were safe in the privacy of the Rabbit Hutch.

* * *

"Ugh..." Yuuki rubbed her shoulder. "That one was rough."

Before Yuuki knew what was happening, Tomoko was tugging off her uniform jacket.

"Hey—!"

"Sit still. This will help."

Yuuki obeyed. Her cheeks grew warm as she was stripped of first her jacket and then her shirt. "Tomoko, are you sure—"

Tomoko twisted open a bottle of something weird-smelling. She poured some onto her hand and rubbed it on Yuuki's shoulder. "Vinegar. It will ease your joint pain."

"Really? Isn't that just an old wives' tale?"

"Do you really still think that? After everything you've seen?"

Yuuki shrugged. She flinched instinctively when she realized shrugging was a bad idea in her current state, but it didn't hurt as much as she expected it to. "Well... maybe not."

* * *

"Your friend is so cute, Yuuki!" Mrs. Joujima cooed. "Natto on chapatis is such a unique idea!"

Tomoko blushed and looked down at her plate of flatbread and nyama choma, along with the natto she'd brought along.

"It's not very Kenyan, though..." Mr. Joujima frowned, but his protest didn't stop him from wolfing down his portion.

Underneath the table Yuuki held Tomoko's hand. She knew one day she'd have to correct her mother—"friend" might have been accurate in the past, but right now it was an understatement. She didn't know what sort of reaction she'd get, though.

For now they would just eat.

* * *

"Horny goat weed," Tomoko replied. "It has a long history of use in China. If you're nervous this can help you overcome it." She held out a small vial.

Yuuki bit the tip of her thumb. "Nervous" was putting it lightly. That it was her first time was bad enough. But Tomoko's room was dark and eerie. There were things suspended in jars that seemed to be looking down at them from shelves on the walls. And the toy Tomoko had chosen to bring to bed was huge and shaped less like a phallus and more like something that would be attached to a sea monster.

On another level, Yuuki knew she was just making excuses. She'd really be _more_ concerned if Tomoko had a completely normal bedroom and a completely normal dildo.

Yuuki put her hand on top of Tomoko's and pushed the vial away. "I'll be fine," she said with a smile. "As long as it's with you."

And she was.

* * *

They stood together on the moon looking up at the half-lit Earth. Holding hands was clunky in these spacesuits, but the experience was worth it.

Tomoko smiled at Yuuki and Yuuki smiled back. Protecting Amanogawa was hard work. Yuuki was glad she had a girlfriend like Tomoko at her side.


End file.
